Hours till West Seattle 4th of July 2011: A few notes
The holiday’s almost here! We’ve collected updated information on the WSB 4th of July page – but here are a few general notes: We asked Southwest Precinct operations Lt. Pierre Davis a few days ago if any special enforcement or closures were planned along Alki. His reply: No. (Though there’s no longer an Elliott Bay fireworks show, crowds still gather to watch Lake Union fireworks from here, but not enough for road shutdowns like years past. The Parks Department did tell us they’ve placed some extra portable restrooms along the shoreline in popular spots.)
You WILL find some traffic effects tomorrow morning in the North Admiral area from West Seattle’s one and only Independence Day parade, the Admiral 4th of July Kids’ Parade – all welcome, starts at 10 am at 44th/Sunset, winds its way through a few residential blocks, then crosses California so paraders can get to the fun, games, and concessions at Hamilton Viewpoint Park. If you happen to be traveling that end of California SW when the parade’s going by, you’ll have to wait, as police will be holding traffic. As for more parade details plus the rest of the day, again, it’s all on the special 4th of July page (if we’re missing something, please let us know so it can be added!).
A word about NON-official fireworks: They’re illegal in Seattle. Though they are sold in neighboring White Center, even there, they are only legal to use 9 am-midnight on the actual holiday. If tonight is anything like last night (both what we heard on the scanner and what we heard through our windows), many will be disregarding the law. So in case you wondered, here is the official Seattle Police/Fire Departments‘ statement about when to call 911 and when NOT to call 911 about fireworks.
West Seattle Cooking Club: Not your average potluck
Story and photos by Deanie Schwarz
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
It’s fair to say that among the things West Seattleites have in common, a love of food is probably at the top of any list. You probably have a favorite breakfast or pizza place, special dessert destination, preferred grocery store, produce stand, mobile food truck. The West Seattle/White Center area has grown into a neighborhood with an abundance of some of the best and most inviting food destinations in the city. New places continue to open up and we just can’t seem to get enough.
But for some folks, even the plethora of commercial culinary awesomeness surrounding us isn’t quite enough. These people not only like to eat, they like to cook – a lot. And they would like to find others with great recipes who might want to share with the club – and eventually help publish a charity-fundraiser cookbook – while getting inspired and meeting new people.
So the stage is set for a growing group of people who share a passion for cooking: The West Seattle Cooking Club.
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West Seattle traffic alert: Tree down on Admiral Way hill
Be careful! A tree has fallen onto the eastbound (bridge-bound) lanes of Admiral Way near the West Seattle Bridge, according to notes we’ve received. Thanks to those who e-mailed to let us know about it. Off to check out the scene.
5:38 PM: It’s been cleared, so all is OK now.
West Seattle Garden Tour: Ten to see, two weeks from today
Suddenly, it’s July, and all the big summer events are in view. Two weeks from today, you can spend the day wandering the 10 gardens on this year’s West Seattle Garden Tour 
on your own schedule between 9 am-5 pm, and learning perennial-design secrets from this year’s guest speaker Sue Goetz (that’s the one event with a fixed time – noon at West Seattle Golf Course). Ticket books are $15 (kids 12/under = free), and they’re more than just your ticket to get into the gardens and lecture on July 17th – they contain maps and information, plus coupons from some of the sponsors (totaling savings, by our informal estimation, that could exceed the $15 price). The WS Garden Tour is a fundraiser with multiple beneficiaries (listed here). WSB is proud to be a WS Garden Tour sponsor again this year (with many others, including these businesses that are also WSB sponsors: Budget Blinds of West Seattle, Highline Medical Group/West Seattle Family Medicine, Jackson, Morgan & Hunt PLLC, Stonehedge Tree Experts, Tom’s Automotive Service, WEdesign, Ventana Construction). You can buy your ticket book today at the locations listed here, or online. (Photo of “Sculptural Greens Garden” by Clay Swidler, from WSGT website)
See the Duwamish River up close: Kayak tours start Wednesday
(December 2010 photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
That’s just one of the sights we saw on a boat tour of the Duwamish River last December. You can get an even better look at the people, wildlife, industry, and history of the river that borders much of easternmost West Seattle by taking an evening community-kayaking tour this summer. The Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition presents the tours along with West Seattle’s own Alki Kayak Tours, and this summer’s tour series is about to begin. Every other Wednesday night, from this coming Wednesday (July 6th) through September 14th, a tour will leave either from the West Seattle or South Park shore of the river. The full schedule is here, along with the cost and other parameters.
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